


Oh tell me, doesn't it make you feel worse than you do?

by pameytilla



Category: Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard - Rick Riordan
Genre: 5+1 Things, Canonical Character Death, Floor 19 - Freeform, Fluff, Gen, Grief/Mourning, Hotel Valhalla, Hurt/Comfort, Nail Polish, but it's mainly fluff, kind of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-31
Updated: 2017-03-31
Packaged: 2018-10-13 07:52:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,237
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10509513
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pameytilla/pseuds/pameytilla
Summary: ' "Kid, do me favor?" Blitz asked Magnus as he and Hearth sat down on the chairs."Yeah, anything. You name it." Magnus said wearliy, guessing what it was."Do our nails? Please?" Blitz begged.'5 times Magnus paints someone else's nails and 1 time he paints his own.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Magnus Chase and the God's of Asguard belongs to Rick Riodan and Disney. 
> 
> This is my first time writing for this fandom. I really hope I did okay. 
> 
> (With Alex, I tried to do what the book did, but please tell me if it needs changing. But I really hope it's alright and doesn't upset anyone)
> 
> Title is from What's the use of feeling Blue? From Steven Universe

1

Magnus awoke to someone banging on his door.

He groaned and pushed his covers of himself, forcing himself upright.

"Maggie, Maggie. C'mon open up."

There was only one person who called him that. Magnus opened the door to reveal Alex Fierro, clutching some bottles of nail polish.

Thrusting the bottles of polish into his hands Alex looked at him pleadingly.

"Thank god, Maggie. Please could you do them for me? Blitz told me that you used to wear nail polish, so I assume you can put it on decently?"

"Uh, sure. I can try although it's been a while." He stammered awkwardly.

Alex's two tone eyes lit up as Magnus gestured towards his couch.

"What pronouns?" Magnus asked as they sat down together.

"She and her for now." Alex smiled at him and offered him her hand.

Magnus uncapped the bottle of base coat that Alex had provided.

"Where did you even get these?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Sam gave me them. She said that she thought it would be something I'd enjoy." Alex supplied cooly.

"Alright." Magnus slid the brush over Alex's nails, checking that the polish was evenly spread on each finger.

"What colour?" He asked as Alex shook her hands slightly, to let the polish dry.

"Uh, I don't mind," She smiled, "You pick, Maggie."

Magnus opted for a glittery gold polish, as he uncapped it Alex looked at him interestedly.

"Why'd you stop? Painting your nails, I mean." She asked cautiously.

"I used to paint my mom's nails. She used to help me do mine, before I was able to do it myself." He replied cooly.

Concentrating on spreading the polish over Alex's nails.

"I stopped after she died, partly because it was really hard to find any on the streets and partly because I didn't want too."

"Oh." She said, Magnus was glad she didn't say anything else. It would make this situation even more awkward.

"There. Now let that dry for a while."

"Okay cool, thanks." She smiled at him.

"Wanna watch some tv?" Magnus offered reaching for the remote.

"Sure."

Magnus flipped around the channels for a while looking for something intresting.

Eventualy he landed on a re-run of the original Star-Trek series.

Turning to Alex who grinned at him,  
"I've been meaning to watch this, since you talk about it. All the time."

Magnus blushed, heat creeping up his face.

It was a early episode, Kirk and Spock were talking about something or other. Magnus was remined of when he used to watch it with his mom.

She was the one who showed him all the classics that he now called his favorites.

She was the one who suggested he wear nail polish in the first place. He used to bite at his nails and cuticles untill they were red and raw.

She was worried about them hurting him, so she painted his very short nails a light cream colour. Telling him that it would help.

At first it felt weird. His fingers had more weight on them. It was oddly calming.

At school he only ever wore creamy colours and beige, but during the holidays he would wear mainly gold. His mom's favorite.

When he could do it well enough on his own he began paining her nails. She used to joke that he was better at it than she was.

He started to grow a collection. Varying tones of golds, beiges and creams. With a mix of glitter and metalics thrown in.

Of course that was gone now.

He had tried to not bite his nails too much, and sometimes they broke, but who could help that?

His nails were short, neatly cropped so they weren't an incovinience, and noticably unpainted.

Alex nudged him with her arm jolting him out of his thoughts.

"They're dry now." She offered him her hand.

Magnus unscrewed the top coat's cap. Applying an even coat of the polish on each nail.

"Why'd you want them done anyways?"  
He questioned cautiously.

She sighed.

"I just, kinda felt like it. You know?"

Magnus nodded, careful not to smudge the polish.

Alex's eyes were glued to the screen. Every so often she smiled at what the characters were doing on-screen, while Magnus finished off her nails.

She stayed with him for while they dried, and after. Sometimes commenting on what the character were doing on screen.

Eventualy she left for her own room, claiming that it was getting late. Magnus had too agree. It was a few hours past when he would usualy be asleep and he was begining to feel tired himself.

A few mornings after he headed to get breakfast with the rest of his hallmates, and noticed on his table there was a small bottle of beige polish and a note from Alex.

It read:

Maggie,  
You said that you liked beige, so I got you this to say thanks (and as payment) for the other night.  
Thanks  
-Alex Fierro.

Next to the signature Alex had drawn a small smiley face with it's tounge poking out. Smiling Magnus left the bottle of beige polish on the table, before leaving for breakfast.

Alex smiled at him as he entered the room. Magnus raised a hand in greeting and mouthed a silent "thank you" in Alex's direction.

2

Hearth was dragging him by the sleeve into Blitzen's Best which was currently closed, according to the sign on the front.

"Come on hurry."

Hearth signed, as the shop bell announced their entrance. Blitz had insisted on having one, explaining that it went with the store's overall aestheic.

Blitz was sat at the counter, with two extra chairs pulled up. An array of nail polish bottles were set up on the counter.

"Kid, do me favor?" Blitz asked Magnus as he and Hearth sat down on the chairs.

"Yeah, anything. You name it." Magnus said wearliy, guessing what it was.

"Do our nails? Please?" Blitz begged.

"No glitter." Hearth signed, and Blitz pouted.

"Alright."

Magnus began on Blitz's nails; applying the top coat, then moving onto Hearth's.

For Blitz Magnus chose a deep royal blue as a base color. As he was applying it Blitz started telling him about his new range of chainmail ties; now in even more colours and patterns. While Hearth watched Magnus spread the polish.

On Hearth's nails, Magnus went for a dark grey, mostly at his insistance.

After Blitz's nails had dryed, Magnus added a layer of gold flaked clear polish, for an extra sparkle, Blitz had said.

While Magnus was applying the top coat to Hearth's nails, Blitz asked signed something that Magnus couldn't see to Hearth, who nodded back.

When all the polish was dry, Blitz had insisted that Hearth and Magnus view his new line of bullet-proof blazers.

"Kid, we want you to keep these" Blitz pressed a bag into Magnus' arms. He opened the bag to see the polishes that had been set up on the store counter.

"Blitz, I uh-"

"Keep them. As a gift." Hearth signed.

"Okay," Magnus nodded softly. "Okay."

Putting the polishes that Hearth and Blitz on the table next to the one Alex had given him, Magnus placed them into an order by colour.

It wasn't nearly as big as the collection that he used to have, but in Magnus' eyes it was just as special.

3

"Magnus? Are you busy?" His cousin's voice sounded from his phone speaker.

"Not really, why?"

"I was wondering if we should hang out? Just as cousins, not demigods." Annabeth asked from her end of the line.

"Uh, sure. Why not?" Magnus offered.

"Okay, good."

She agreed to meet him at the hotel, as it would be easiest for both of them.

"Hi," she greeted when he met her down in the lobby.

"Hey," he waved back.

As they walked towards the elevators Annabeth was telling him about her next date with Percy.

In Magnus' mind Annabeth's boyfriend, Percy, was a kind of legend. He'd heard the stories about Percy's quests and how powerful he was. But, he'd also heard that Percy played the kuzoo, so there was that.

"I didn't know you still painted your nails," Annabeth said once they reached his room.

"I don't really. My friends got me them and I don't use them much." Magnus glanced at the array of polish bottles set up on his table.

The collection had grown slightly, his friends had been buying him random polishes that caught their eyes. Magnus was greatful, but a little confused.

"I could paint yours," he offered as they sat down.

"Really? It's been ages since they were painted."

Magnus smiled and stood to grab the bottles of polish,

"Colour?" He asked cooly, picking out the bottles carefuly.

"Silver? Or green." Annabeth replied, smiling slightly.

"How about both?" He smirked at her.

She nodded at him, smiling slightly.

While Magnus was painting the base coat, Annabeth started to tell him about her new building,

"It has an open plan atruim, with lots of natural light. And these colums that were inspred by the forest."

Magnus hummed in agreement; the building sounded like something his mom would like.

He began applying the silver polish on four fingers, and the ring finger green, and did the inverse on the other hand.

Annabeth watched him with intrest, as he did the final coat.

She blew her nails softly, to let them dry faster.

"Are you ever gonna paint your nails again?"

Magnus shrugged his shoulders,

"Maybe," he murmured. "Maybe."

After she left Magnus rearanged the polish bottles, into an arrangement that he was happy with.

The polish bottles clinking against each other made a familiar noise, from when he used to roll the bottles in his palms carefuly as not to smash them.

When he was finaly happy with the arrangement, it was quite late, Magnus decided to go to bed.

4

"So, this a big date then? Is that why you asked for my help?" Magnus taugnted lightly.

Mallory blushed and glared at him. Rolling her eyes at him she huffed.

"No it's because I have a date with Halfborn later, and I hear from Alex that you're good at painting them."

"Fine then. What colour do you want?"

"Dunno, just make it classy."

He spread the base coat on over her nails. When he was done she shook her hands out slightly

Magnus opted for a pale pink that shimmered slightly.

Mallory smirked as he applied it evenly.

"Do this often?"

"Not really, more so in the last few weeks."

Magnus spread the shimmery pink paint over Mallory's nails, in thick layers.

"Where is your date then?"

"He didn't say. Only that he'd pick me up at seven."

Magnus nodded mutely, trying not to mess up the polish.

"So you're leaving the hotel?"

Mallory nodded and hummed in agreement.

"I think so. He didn't say much." She grinned. "I think that's because he has a surprise in store."

Mallory tried to flick her red hair out of her face without using her hands.

Mallory huffed and waved her hands up and down.

"Where did he get his PhD?"

"I don't remember. Some fancy college or whatever."

"Oh." Magnus nodded. "So, where'd you go on your last date?"

"A coffee shop downtown. There was a poetry slam."

"Of course."

"Yeah." She wrinkled her nose. "The coffee was pretty good though."

Magnus began painting on the last, clear top coat.

Mallory smiled, as Magnus guided the brush over her nails.

"Thanks Magnus. I owe you one." She smirked as he recapped the bottle.

"Anytime, Keen."

"See you, Chase." Mallory waved as she left the room closing the door behind her.

5

"Pumpkin, could you do me a favor?" Natalie Chase asked her son.

"Sure mom, what do you need?"

"Paint my nails?"

"Sure," Magnus pulled himself up from the couch, "What colour do you want?"

"I don't mind, you choose." She smiled.

Magnus grabbed the nail polish bottles and uncapped the base coat and began to spread it over his mom's nails.

"Pumpkin, I was thinking we'd go on a trip next weekend."

"Why?" He asked confusedly.

"I just think it'd be nice, is that okay?"

He nodded. It always was okay.

When he was satisfied with the base coat being dry he started on the colour coat.

He had chosen a shimmery gold, that shifted into a pinkish tone.

He began to spread it over his mom's fingers.

"So where are we going?" He looked up at her.

She smiled.

"Hiking, in Oreagon maybe? I'm not too sure just yet."

"Okay." Magnus hummed.

She blew on her hands slightly and Magnus looked down at his own nails; they were painted in a beige colour.

They were slightly chipped around the edges.

When Magnus was certain that the polish was dry he applyed a final top coat.

"Thank you, Pumpkin." his mom smiled at him.

He smiled back.

+1

The first time Magnus does his nails after his mom's death isn't the last time.

The polish isn't particularly flashy, just a simple cream colour, but Magnus doesn't mind.

When he sees Alex in the hallway, the day after he painted his nails, he waves and Alex gives him a thumbs up.

And, maybe, Magnus thinks that it's not so bad.

Eventualy he starts wearing gold nail polish, never straying too far from how he used to do them with his mom.

Fin.


End file.
